5 Most Common eLearning Budget-Brakers Let’s be honest, life is full of unexpected expenses. It seems as though the best laid plans tend to go by the wayside, even if you create a solid eLearning budget that is completely realistic. But what if you could get a glimpse into the future and know about those unforeseen eLearning expenses in advance? What if you could actually plan for them before they suddenly pop up? Below you’ll discover 5 eLearning budget-breakers that you may want to keep on your radar, so that they don’t end up catching you off-guard. Being aware of them, in some cases, may even help you to avoid them altogether. Using new eLearning software that are difficult to master. This is one of the primary reasons why it is so essential to find a Learning Management System and an eLearning authoring tool that offer the features you want without sacrificing the functionality you need. If you opt for an eLearning tool that is packed with all the proverbial bells and whistles, including some that you probably won’t even use, then you have to be sure that your eLearning team’s skills and talents are up for the challenge. Otherwise, you may have to devote countless hours and monetary resources to overcoming the steep learning curve. Ideally, you should select eLearning tools that are easy to use, but still offer the creative control your eLearning team needs to create amazing, interactive eLearning courses. Keep in mind that even if the vendor is offering on-site training for the eLearning software as part of the package, you will still have to dedicate part of your eLearning budget to training hours for your eLearning team. It may also set you back in regards to your eLearning development timeline, which can have a domino effect that leads to missed completion dates. Numerous revision rounds. At one point or another, every eLearning professional has dealt with revisions that were more complicated than originally expected. Maybe your client doesn’t like the color scheme or wants more interactivity. Whatever the case may be, numerous revision rounds or revisions that require a significant amount of time can be costly. They can also push you past your deadline, which may put your next eLearning project at risk of being late. It’s a vicious cycle! For this very reason, it’s always a good idea to iron out any issues and clarify expectations in advance. Even before you start the eLearning project you should sit down with your client or audience to figure out what they are looking for and create a list of must-haves for the eLearning course. This can help to avoid, or at least minimize, revision rounds later on. Creating an abundance of sample eLearning courses. Though it’s always wise to create at least one or two samples of the eLearning course in order to cut down on revision rounds at the end of the eLearning project, you should not go overboard. Though samples may not require a great deal of time or money, they add up over time, especially if you choose to create a variety of different examples for your client. Try to limit it to under three samples to show at your next meeting to keep costs down. Make certain that each of the examples center on a different idea or show off your diverse talents. For example, the first sample might have a more modern feel while the second boasts a more colorful, creative design. If your client is not onboard for any of them, then you can go back to the drawing board and create new examples. However, this time around you are better equipped, thanks to the fact that you know what they are looking for and how you can address their needs. Unexpected eLearning course localizations. Localizing your eLearning course for international audiences can be quite expensive, especially if translations or subtitling is involved. However, if you keep eLearning localization in mind right from the start you can greatly reduce the amount you will have to spend further down the road. Unexpected eLearning course localizations are of the common budget-breakers that can be avoided by planning ahead and creating online content that is easy to update or modify. For example, if you avoid images that have location or cultural-specific content and develop a detailed storyboard and script for your eLearning course now, localizing your online course in the future can be quick and cost-efficient. Unnecessary eLearning software features and services. eLearning professionals are always on the lookout for new eLearning tools that can help them create meaningful eLearning courses. However, we generally tend to stick with eLearning tools that work best for our needs, especially ones that we’ve taken the time to master. The issue that arises from this is that we may be paying for features and services that we don’t actually need, or even use. For example, some LMS solutions will charge extra for phone support, but we may be able to get away with just email or FAQ help options. Thus, it’s wise to make sure that you are paying for what you actually need, rather than footing the bill for a variety of extras that are putting you over budget. Keep in mind that these are just a handful of the budget-breakers that eLearning professionals should be aware of. It’s important to not just create a realistic eLearning budget in the beginning, but to keep a close eye on your tally sheet throughout the eLearning design and development process, so that you can stretch every dollar and avoid hidden costs. Now that you know about the eLearning budget pitfalls, take a moment to read the article Tips To Create eLearning Courses On Budget to discover 8 top tips that can help you create an effective budget for your eLearning course. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

Creative Instructional Design - 7 Learning Strategies You Can Use (Featuring Live Demos) Register today to learn about 7 Creative Instructional Design Strategies and add that key ingredient to your recipe for a better learning experience and an enhanced ROI. While most heads of organizations and heads of Learning and Development departments realize that there is a direct relationship between learnability and ROI on businesses, they often don’t get the desired results on account of a mundane Learning experience. More often than not, the blip occurs right when the foundation is being laid - during the Instructional Design phase. Why do learners find the Learning "boring" in spite of a course getting the basics of Instructional Design right? This is because while Learning strategists may have applied the science of Instructional Design to their course design, they may have compromised on the creative techniques to complement the overall Learning experience. This webinar will help you gain insights on seven creative Instructional Design strategies proposed by Asha Pandey, Chief Learning Strategist, EI Design, who will provide demos to help you: Understand the power of creative instructional design approaches  Learn how exactly you can apply them to create sticky learning experiences  Ascertain the impact that you can create (enhancing performance and creating positive ROI) Through additional demos, the webinar will showcase how you can use: Micro learning Gamified activities Performance support tools in innovative formats to achieve application of learning on the job Click here to register for the webinar. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

ICET 2015: The 2015 International Conference on Emerging Technologies This year, ICET 2015 is loaded with a variety of Programs which will attract audience not only within the Country but from around the world including academia, industry and government/Non-government organizations. ICET 2015 has Inaugural, Plenary and Technical sessions as well as Breakout sessions for Panel discussion and Poster presentations. The unique feature of ICET 2015 will be the Entrepreneur Expo which is being held for the first time in Pakistan under the auspices of IEEE International Conference on the main theme of emerging technologies. It will be mega event attracting startup companies to showcase their success stories for transforming their innovative research ideas into commercialization and will promote knowledge a transfer culture among the youth. Other programs include Conference gala dinner, excursion trips to reveal the exciting 2500 years old history of Peshawar and Gandhara culture. ICET 2015 Keynote Speakers Dr. Muhammad Ali Imran, Reader in Communications, University of Surrey Dr. Raziq YaqubDirector Technical Training, Niksun Inc. Princeton Dr. Faisal Khan, Co-Founder, Peshawar 2.0 Prof. Dr. Hamed Al-Raweshidy, Director Wireless Networks and Communications Center, Brunel University London Dr. Faqir Zarrar Yousaf, Research Scientist, NEC Labs The 2015 International Conference on Emerging Technologies (ICET 2015) will be held at the Peshawar Garrison Services Club(pakistan) on December 19-20, 2015. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

Cloud Computing And mLearning: The Next Gen Of Learning  Let us have a look how mLearning and cloud computing are dominating the next generation of eLearning. mLearning  "Mobile is full of exciting technologies, and approaches that can help us transform how we teach, work, and learn. We just need more passionate educators to think bigger, and fit them into our learning." - Geoff Stead With a compound annual growth rate of over eighteen percent for the next five years, it is predicted that the worldwide mLearning market will reach $12.2 billion by 2017. Complete interactive learning experiences delivered to the learners on the devices of their choice empowers them to be more productive and efficient. The benefits of mobile learning completely outweigh the costs. The anytime, anywhere access to the course content and information, right from the smartphone, makes it easy for learners to grasp the information in short chunks as per their convenience. Since the content is presented in small chunks on the mobile, mLearning sees a faster completion of courses and better learner retention. With full-blown multimedia support, mLearning can support various learning styles such a reading, videos, and audio (podcasts). The user-generated content and collaboration fostered by mobile devices make the learning more fascinating. Cloud Computing  The use of cloud computing in eLearning allows the businesses as well as the learners to access the learning applications and courses without the need of any installation on their own devices. Computing becomes a whole lot more efficient with the centralization of data storage, processing, and bandwidth. eLearning delivered via cloud benefits from the lower costs  in a long run. Businesses don’t need to worry about maintenance or upgrades as those are handled by the cloud vendors. Cloud-based learning is a safe option because the software as well as the data reside on remote servers and are protected against security breaches. It also provides the eLearning to keep pace with the latest technology trends. mLearning With Mobile Web Apps: Best Of Both Worlds The individual benefits of mobile learning and cloud are undisputed. Mobile learning delivered through native mobile apps requires the learners to download the app on their phones. The learning creators in this case also need to worry about the constant technological advancements and newer screen sizes. While the native apps offer unique and far richer user experiences, these are very time-consuming and costly to develop and maintain. Therefore, more and more learning creators have started giving more preference to mobile web apps. These apps run from directly from any mobile browser and do not require the learners to download any app on their smartphones. Creation of mobile web learning apps is relatively easy and most of the popular authoring tools allow the same at the click of a button. Since these don’t require any programming development skills, it is easier, less time consuming, and, therefore, relatively cheaper to create such apps. These apps offer extreme compatibility with a wide range of browsers. The apps need to be developed once and can work on multiple devices without any issues. The cost of development and management of web apps is very low as compared to native apps because once developed, such apps can work on multiple operating systems without any issues. It is very easy to host such apps on any mobile compatible portal or Learning Management System. The learners get access to the latest courses without having to do anything specific at their end (like installation of an app etc.). As soon as the course is updated on the server, the learners can see the same. With a stable internet connection, the course viewing experience can match with that of the native app without any issues. The courses can be delivered instantly because there are no intermediate steps of app store approval etc. There are discussions about the security of such courses and the user experience. However, with the use of right tools, technology, and expertise, all such issues can very easily be taken care of. The mobile browsers are rapidly maturing and that is significantly contributing in addressing the concerns about performance and usability. As the trend shows, while companies have become cautious about their spends on IT-related things like software and infrastructure, the spend on mobile devices are continuously increasing. The future no doubt will be ruled by cloud and mobile. Your learning initiatives will need to keep pace with these trends. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

Private Tutors And Online Tuition: What Do They Think?  In 2015, The Tutor Pages published a groundbreaking report into online tuition in the UK - the first of its kind. Around 400 tutors were asked about all aspects of online tuition: Technology, payment solutions, affordability, the benefits and challenges, and much more. These are some of the results. Enthusiasm For Online Tuition  For a start, tutors without experience of online tuition were asked whether they would consider teaching online in the future. Notwithstanding the self-selection bias (participants had already elected to take a survey on online tuition) these preliminary results were interesting because they revealed differences across subjects. Those tutoring sciences, foreign languages and secondary (high school) level subjects showed the most enthusiasm for the idea. In addition, these tutors were among the most likely to report that they’d had to turn down tutoring work because they don’t yet tutor online. As many as a third of such tutors were turning down work because they didn’t offer online tuition, which suggests significant demand for this type of tutoring. Use Of Technology When it comes to technology, the vast majority of tutors were using simple, well-known technologies in their online tutoring. Over 80% were using Skype, and very few were currently using the bespoke online learning software. As for accepting payments, most tutors kept things very simple as well, with bank transfers and Paypal being almost equally as popular. Attitudes Of Parents Towards Online Tuition We also asked tutors about the attitudes of parents towards online tuition. The top two reasons why parents seem to be choosing online tuition were: It is more convenient than face-to-face tuition. They couldn’t find a suitable tutor in their local area. What was more surprising, however, is that another popular reason was that the family was living abroad and needed to follow a UK curriculum. This finding echoes the emerging market in preparing foreign children to study at British private schools. One expert in this area commented that: "I think that technology has improved enough for parents abroad to have confidence that the quality of tuition online is not affected. The standard of education varies between countries and I sense parents like to have a British tutor to regularly assess whether their child is at the necessary standard before starting their education in Britain." Other tutors, however, had come across resistance from parents, citing it as one of the barriers to online tuition. One respondent stated: "I’ve had a lot of people turn down tuition from me because it's online and not face-to-face. (...) No other reason given, just ‘we’d rather in person’." Main Barriers To Online Tuition Resistance from parents wasn’t the greatest barrier to online tuition identified by tutors. For most tutors, it was the lack of available information about online tuition which presented the greatest barrier. Indeed, there are often misunderstandings about how online tuition works. For example, some people believe that that it is complicated, or that it involves pre-recorded videos or software and not a live human tutor. On the other hand, those who actually try online tutoring -both clients and tutors- are often surprised at how simple it can be. For example, use of Skype and Paypal can be all that’s required for a successful online learning session. Aside from this, the major barriers identified by tutors were mainly associated with the online medium itself. These included: The problem of adequate broadband width and technology. Seeing what the student is doing. Establishing rapport with both the student and parents. The increased levels of concentration required for learning online. Those teaching special needs also had doubts about the benefits of the medium when a child required a multi-sensory approach to learning. The Future For Online Tuition Despite these hurdles, some tutors are clearly strong converts. One tutor commented that they "Think it is the future, definitely", and another noted that "I tutor exclusively online now. It has been the best single improvement I have ever made to my tuition business". The convenience of online tuition is undoubtedly a strong draw for both families and tutors. If the experience of online tutors is anything to go by, as the technology improves and as parents and the public become better informed about this kind of tutoring, demand for online tuition will certainly increase. For more details on tutors responses, read the full report at www.thetutorpages.com/online-tuition. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

How To Make Time To Finally Create Your Online Course We all need more hours in a day. Time has become the biggest roadblock standing between us and our dreams. Or at least that’s what we keep telling ourselves. I-just-don’t-have-time-for-it. No time for learning a new language, although it would be really nice to massage the tongue with the sounds of French or Italian. No time to research those pension investment options that everyone is talking about. No time for morning jogs or evening pilates classes. No time for crafting that online course you’ve been obsessing about for months. Because you-just-don’t-have-time-for-it. How do I know you’re lying to yourself? Well, you are reading this article, while you could be learning a new language, doing yoga, or mapping out your course. Don’t get me wrong, I’m flattered, but the truth is - you do have time, you just don’t manage it very well. And that we can fix. If you’re still here. 1. Is it something that would be nice to have? Before you set out on this adventure, the most important thing to establish is why you’re doing it. Do you really truly want to create an eLearning course or is it just something that would be nice to have? I’ve been planning to learn to play chess since I read my first Sherlock Holmes story about 15 years ago. Although I still find the game terribly sophisticated, the idea has never made it to my must-haves list (I just continue to dream about it). Image credit to: Dimitra Tzanos If you’re a bit like me and your motivation is built on a house of cards, it’s unlikely you’ll ever get started. Not because it’s extremely difficult to create an online course, just because you don’t want it badly enough. Think about the people who queue for two days to get the new iPhone or people who go to gym every bleedin’ day to flex those muscles like Rocky himself was watching them. That’s motivation. Be more like them. Leave the niceness behind. Say that you really want it and then sweat for it. 2. One BIG goal at a time. I often have a hundred things that I want to do and learn (usually all at the same time). It is not manageable to juggle a bunch of life projects at once, but I still continue to torture myself with the guilty thoughts of wasting my life every time I log onto Netflix. Multitasking is a myth. It robs us off the opportunity to enjoy the process of achieving important milestones as we buzz around ticking to do lists. Having too many goals will drive you to the ground - you’ll start losing energy without getting any results. And that will not help you stay pumped-up for your mission. So pick one big goal that you will concentrate on and plough on. Depending on how skilled you are, it may only take you a few weeks or maybe a month to create an online course. Can you postpone the other dreams while you’re realizing this one? 3. Show that you’re serious. If developing an eLearning course has become your next big project, it’s time to officially commit. Sit down and make a plan of all the project stages: What steps do you have to take to accomplish this goal? Assign time estimates to each stage to calculate a rough final deadline - it will help you to track your progress and stay focused. There’s always that possibility that you’ll just ignore the deadline and the plan altogether (let’s face it, it’s a bit like taking a gym membership), but in that case, we’re back to square one - how badly do you want it? Every stage of your plan should clearly state: a) What needs to be done, b) how you will do it and c) how long it will take you. It’s the only recipe for productive work, so make sure all the ingredients are there. 4. Make it your priority by reducing other commitments. Quick meetings for coffee, online shopping, binge-watching TV series, playing silly games on your phone, catching up with your favorite show, napping or having too much wine at 8pm - these are just a few temptations that will be lurking around, waiting for your moment of weakness. Giving in to your typical indulgences will deter you from the goal. So how can you reduce the unnecessary commitments to the minimum while working on that dream? Well, here are a few simple ideas to try: 1) Tell your friends and family what you’re up to and make them promise to keep the distractions to a minimum; 2) treat yourself with something exciting when you achieve your milestones on time; 3) when you get distracted, write the random ideas down to follow up afterwards - it will help you stay in the moment; 4) visualize a steady decline in future incomes every time you waste time on unplanned tasks. Keep your eyes on the sea, captain! 5.  Block off time. Having time is a luxury. No one has time. But you make time for the things that have a special place in your heart. It’s all a matter of one’s priorities. So if you need to, go as far as blocking off time in your calendar for meetings with yourself or for your creative time. It will also serve as a precautionary measure to make sure you don’t plan any outings with friends on that day because you "forgot you have to work on this thing". iCalendar makes it very hard to fool yourself these days. 6. Keep it simple. If your plan is to put together a course on English grammar that includes 5 video lectures, 3 practical exercises, and 2 interviews in a week, chances are you’ll drop the idea very quickly. It’s just a little too overwhelming. One of the most successful tactics in overcoming the brain’s natural resistance to a huge load of work is to chunk it up. Or keep it simple. If you break your big project into smaller tasks, every time you complete one, you’ll feel like a champion. It’s important to maintain the enthusiasm levels high, so be smart and don’t attempt to outrun yourself. Every great success starts from a step in the right direction. Keep putting one foot in front of the other. Photo Credit: Helena Constela via Compfight cc 7. Stay focused. When working on large-scale projects, people often tend to go through a dark phase that sees their determination quiver. Suddenly, the whole project seems like a hot mess. You will agree that it’s not the most energizing feeling in the world. So it’s important to leave reminders for your future-self why you are doing this: Schedule emails, leave post-it notes on a fridge, or stick a poster on your bedroom wall. Do what works for you, but don’t leave your future-self marinating in self-doubt. Seriously, not cool. 8. The first 30 mins of your day are for you. Planning your day first thing in the morning is the best way to ensure that you don’t over-book or forget anything important. It doesn’t have to be a very detailed, neat plan - sometimes it’s enough to simply ask yourself "what do I need to accomplish today?" and make a mental note of that goal. Think about it as your no-nonsense shopping list: Get things done and get out. 9. Guard your time. If you don’t have a "do not disturb" sign yet, it’s about time to purchase one. You will see that everyone’s after a piece of you… Learn not to pick up calls just because the phone is ringing: Your me-time is just as important and shouldn’t be interrupted. Log out of your social media accounts and mute phone and email notifications when you get ready to do some work. It may not seem like much, but you will soon notice that minimizing distractions helps you maintain a laser-sharp focus and uncluttered mind. That’s just the kind of peace you need to develop something outstanding. Now take a deep breath and make it happen. Download the free help guide and build your money-making online course. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

Applying Gagné's 9 Events Of Instruction In eLearning Gagné published The Conditions of Learning back in 1965, which suggested that certain mental conditions must be present in order for knowledge absorption and retention to occur. He also introduced the 9 Events of Instruction, based on the internal and external cognitive factors that contribute to learning. The internal factors are the learner’s prior knowledge, while the external factors are outside stimuli, such as the form of instruction. eLearning professionals can use these 9 events of instruction to develop eLearning experiences that stick and offer online learners the opportunity to engage in every step of the instructional process. Create an attention-grabbing introduction. The first, and most important, event is gaining the attention of every learner in your audience. One of the most effective ways to do this is to create a compelling introduction that gets them hooked right from the start. Lead off with a story that pulls at their heart strings, or a question that surprises or shocks them. Even online learners who are distracted or possibly unmotivated to participate cannot resist an intro that creates an emotional connection and gets them thinking about the topic. Inform learner about the objectives of the eLearning course. This means that you must clearly state the goals of the eLearning course. Your learners must know WHY they need to actively participate in the eLearning course before they even access the first online module or activity. Be very clear about the objectives of the eLearning course, and tie it into real-world applications and benefits. If they know that they are going to take something valuable away from the eLearning experience, then they are more likely to engage in the online learning process. Stimulate recall of prior knowledge. Recalling and applying knowledge they have previously acquired gives online learners the chance to commit it to long-term memory, rather than forgetting it a second after they’ve read it.  Before you start each eLearning activity, let your audience know what skills or knowledge they will be applying to the task, as well as how the subject matter is connected to information they already have in their knowledge base. Create goal-centered eLearning content. Each and every eLearning activity, online exercise, and piece of eLearning content should tie in directly to the goals and objectives. In fact, it’s best to group information and concepts together based on the specific goal. For example, an online lesson or module should focus on one core objective, which allows the learner to master that topic before moving onto the next. Provide online guidance. Even the most advanced online learners may need support when it comes to learning new skill sets and absorbing new knowledge. Otherwise, they may become discouraged or frustrated and disengage from the eLearning experience altogether. They must have the coaching they need to develop favorable online learning behaviors, or else they might be committing incorrect information to their long-term memory. Practice makes perfect. Repetition is key to absorbing and retaining new knowledge and skills. Thus, you should include plenty of opportunities for your learners to apply the knowledge they have acquired so far and try out behaviors that can help them in the real world. Offer them branching scenarios and simulations that give them the chance to see where their decisions lead them, as well as the rewards and risks involved that come of their actions. Offer timely feedback. By giving your learners timely and constructive feedback they have the power to improve learning behaviors and identify their weaknesses and strengths. Offer personal feedback, rather than giving general praise or criticism to your entire audience, so that every learner knows which steps they must take in order to reach their goals. Assess early and often. Assessing your learners not only gauges their progress, but also gives you the opportunity to identify weak spots in your eLearning strategy. For example, if a vast majority of your learners are struggling with one particular online module, you may want to reevaluate its online content and activities. eLearning assessments also offer you the ability to identify the knowledge gap, which is what they already know versus what they still need to acquire in order to achieve the learning objectives of the eLearning course. Enhance transfer of knowledge by tying it into real world situations and applications. Your learners must always be aware of how they can apply what they have learned once they step out of the virtual learning environment. As such, you should include real-world scenarios, stories, and other interactive eLearning activities that show them the applications of the information and skills they’ve worked so hard to develop. No matter what the eLearning goals are or who your target audience is, you can use Gagné’s 9 Events of Instruction to create effective and engaging eLearning courses for your learners. The primary objective of any eLearning course is to give your learners the information and skills they need to improve some aspect of their lives, and this strategy can help you to develop a complete eLearning experience that does just that! While Gagné’s 9 Events of Instruction are ideal for a comprehensive eLearning course, there are instances wherein you learners may need immediate knowledge on-the-job. Read the article How to Use The 5 "Moments of Need" Model In Corporate eLearning to discover 5 tips that can help you incorporate the "moment of need" model into your online training strategy, so that you can give your corporate learners the information they need when and where they need it the most. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

Pay Attention! It’s The First Starting Point Of Learning And Essential To The Formation Of Memory According to an infographic I saw recently from Bersin by Deloitte, "most learners won’t watch videos longer than 4 minutes" because the modern day worker is overwhelmed, easily distracted and impatient". That will come as little surprise to many of you I’m sure, as employees are now accessing information and learning in a far more different way to how they did a few years ago. They are now inundated with different ways to learn, including virtual, mobile, and smartphone, and the traditional classroom-style, all of which beg the question, how much of what people learn do they actually remember afterwards and go on to use again in the long-term? However learning is delivered, people must first pay attention to information if they are ultimately going to remember it. Second, it takes time to bring all the information given to them in a few moments into consciousness. For example, if students are given with too much information at once and are not told which aspects of the information they should pay attention to, they may have difficulty learning any of the information at all. It also appears that scientists are unlocking the secrets of just how we remember and how we can enhance our memory. As such, knowing the science behind how memory is created is extremely important to educators for the whole teaching/learning process. One of the most compelling academic papers I have recently read was Alison Banikowski’s "Strategies to Enhance Memory Based on Brain Research" which has subsequently inspired much of what I feature in this article. Believe it or not, Alison’s paper, which was produced over 16 years ago in 1999, is about how children learn in school and what strategies are best used in this learning situation. Whether it’s in the classroom or in the board room, understanding how the brain saves what it is taught, is the foundation for how we retain what we learn and keep it as a memory. Some of the points Alison raises in her article still resonate for learning today, so it seems all the more important for companies to really take on board the concept of brain-based learning  strategies as they are setting the learning scene for pretty much everyone, from children to working professionals. All trainers, be they in the school classroom, college, or workplace, must ensure that participants participate in learning, expand and grow their existing learning, engage in learning, and ultimately go on to repeat what they have learned. And what enables this to happen? Memory! As Alison Benikowski herself says, no teacher or trainer simply wants to "teach". They want students to "learn". They want learners to be able to organize, store, and retrieve knowledge and skills. And it’s by applying what we know about how the brain receives and remembers information that workplace trainers can focus on the "learning" aspect of the "teaching/learning" process. How Science Helps Us Use Cognitive Learning Strategies To Keep People’s Attention Like any other skill, I think we can all develop our attention for learning through regular practice and training. We’re likely to forget 70% of what we have learned unless we make a special effort to remember it, as information needs to be transferred from our short term memory to our long-term, permanent memory. Unfortunately, people can attend to only a small amount of information at any one time. People often can perform two or three well-learned, automatic tasks at one time (e.g. driving a car and listening to the Sat Nav at the same time). However, because of the limited capacity of human attention, only a small amount of information stored in the sensory register ever moves on to our every day, activity memory. But I do think the limitations of our memory also can be helped by learning styles that take a scientific account of just how the brain functions. I have often referred to the AGES report in previous articles that I have written, as I do think the scientific insights it divulges give Learning and Development decision makers and trainers an important insight into the four key conditions required to enable really effective learning and the creation of lasting memory as a result of that learning: Attention, Generation, Emotion, Spacing. For the purpose of this article, I want to address the "Attention" part of the AGES model and explain why for me, as a learning and training provider, it should always be the key starting point for training programs because it’s where formation of memory starts, and the one around which the other three conditions all play a part to support. For many companies, an updated learning and development process remains long overdue. Brandon Hall Group’s 2014 Learning and Development Benchmarking Study has revealed that more than 50% of companies have revisited their learning strategy less than two times in the last five years. It may seem surprising given the economic situation has improved for many companies in the wake of the recession, but it would seem that for many companies, learning has almost flat lined. The good news is, however, according to the Brandon Hall Group’s Study, that one-third of companies are planning to increase their budget for Learning and Development over the next 12 months, with nearly 50% of these companies currently spending $100 per learner per year. That’s good news to hear, but if you read the AGES report and understand the four parts of the AGES concept, you will appreciate that the secret to making companies’ training work well, is down to the training methods and approaches they choose. They need to really understand how the brain captures and retains information and stores them as memory so "teaching" can really become "learning". As I mentioned right at the beginning of this article, the "modern day worker is overwhelmed, easily distracted, and impatient," and this means Learning and Development departments need to realize people are learning from more varied sources nowadays with one of the most popular being mobile or smartphone learning. Of smartphone users, 91% turn to their devices for ideas while completing a task. Brands like Home Depot and M·A·C are even using mobile video to reach people in these "I-want-to-do" micro-moments! Why is it so popular? Because the way and time in which it’s delivered is more likely to keep our attention, and as such, is more likely to be stored and remembered. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

Allow Your eLearners To Bloom Help your learners reach their Bloom’s potential through scalable, interactive eLearning. Bloom’s Taxonomy is used widely for classifying the different objectives that educators set for learners. Since Bloom’s lower order cognitive objectives (knowledge, comprehension, and application) are all fairly straightforward to do online, they make up the bulk of current online training tasks. However, it often surprises me how quickly Bloom’s higher order cognitive tasks get overlooked when developing online training. The one exception here is the use of branched scenarios, which are fantastic but can’t be forced into every training topic we need to cover as educators. Bloom’s higher order cognitive skills (analyze, evaluate, and create) are heavily focused on critical thinking. These, in order, ask learners to analyze situations based on their lower order knowledge, select and choose between presented options (listing and ordering with explanations), and propose new solutions or present a critical analysis of situation ideas. Since most higher order tasks require feedback from a teacher, an instructor, or a more knowledgeable other (MKO), this often gets a little tricky (but not impossible!) to facilitate and scale through eLearning. Many learning professionals avoid using eLearning for these higher order tasks due to technological constraints, time or budget constraints, or simply because they just haven’t thought of some of the ways you can use eLearning to achieve the higher order objectives. There are, in fact, a few very effective ways to solve the problem of using eLearning to capture higher order cognitive objectives that we use often with our clients at Learnkit. Reach Full Bloom Through eLearning Solutions to the higher order objective challenge will involve some social participation, comparing against pre-prepared answers then rating confidence, or self-reflection, and doesn’t demand much in terms of instructor time and resources. Here are 4 ways to create impactful, scalable eLearning that will allow your eLearners to bloom: Compare and contrast answers. Users are given a question to answer in long-form. Rather than have someone mark it, they compare their answer against a pre-prepared answer, and then compare and contrast the two. Users rate their confidence afterwards - this reflective activity is useful for engagement and retention. Great for the analyze stage tasks. Case studies. A bit more scaffolded than the option above. Have students read through a case study and then answer a series of questions. If it is a real-life case study then they can even evaluate choices, and once again check against a pre-prepared answer. The longer, step-by-step nature of case studies make them great for the evaluation stage tasks. This is a nice twist on standard branched scenarios that allows learners to stretch their critical thinking muscles. Reflective journals. We all know people love to talk about themselves! Students are asked to personalize the answers to questions based on their own unique experiences and current work situations. These are great once students have progressed to the create stage tasks. Answers can stay personal, or they can choose to share if they want. At this stage, the act of writing and thinking about the questions is enough to help consolidate learning in adults. Small projects submitted to a community. Higher order tasks can be given as small projects to be shared with the learning community upon completion. For example, eLearners may be asked to come up with a new sales plan or to critique a customer service conversation. Once completed and submitted to the community, instructors can rely on a small group of super-users who emerge in most online communities to provide feedback. Fortunately these super-users are often MKOs, which removes the need for an instructor, lets trainers act as moderators, and let’s this type of task become scalable. While these higher order tasks may not give us the raw quantitative data we’re used to seeing when we stick with lower order tasks, there is something to be said for letting our learners flex their muscles and start personalizing their responses and experiences with eLearning. As long as we are providing feedback gates along the way, we should be able to incorporate higher order tasks and let our learners Bloom. This post was first published on eLearning Industry.

Must-Have Google Chrome Apps For eLearning Professionals It’s estimated that more than 1 billion people use Google Chrome and over 92.2% of smartphone owners use at least one Google application. However, despite this web browser’s immense popularity, many eLearning professionals are not taking full advantage of this versatile web browser. There are a variety of Google applications that can make the eLearning design process less stressful and more productive, while enriching the eLearning experience of your learners. Google Docs Quick Create Looking for a quick way to create spreadsheets, docs, and online presentations? Google Docs Quick Create gives you the ability to click on the icon, then select one of the formats in the dropdown menu, whether document, spreadsheet, presentation, drawing, or form. Rather than having to access the Google Drive and search through menus to design new online learning materials, you can start the creation process in a matter of seconds. Class Dojo This Google application replaces traditional reward systems with positive reinforcement and praise. Instructors can offer their learners immediate feedback to modify learning behaviors and encourage them to build necessary skill sets. eLearning professionals are able to specify which behaviors they’d like to reinforce, and the learners earn Dojo points when they utilize a particular skill. Evernote Web Clipper This Googgle Chrome application is ideal for subject matter research and resource sharing. You can add notes to any article or webpage, take screenshots, and even save them as a PDF document in your Evernote account. If you want to share a helpful reference site with your learners in order to deepen their understanding of a subject, just clip a webpage, add your own comments, and then send it to your audience. Test & Improve Your Knowledge If you’re searching for a way to assess learners’ knowledge on a broad range of topics or build their critical thinking skills, then Test & Improve Your Knowledge, also known as "The Quiz Center", may be the ideal Google Chrome application. Every quiz round features a series of questions that must be answered within the 20-second time limit. If the learner answers correctly within the allotted time, they move onto the next round. The multiple-choice questions become more challenging as they progress, and every quiz session covers a diverse range of topics. Strict Workflow Productivity is the key to success for eLearning professionals and online learners, alike. Strict Workflow is a Google Chrome application that keeps you on-track and focused on the task at hand. You simply click on the icon, then start the 25-minute timer. During that time you have to concentrate on your work or learning tasks, before the application gives you a 5-minute break to do whatever you like. If you are having trouble budgeting your time or are easily distracted, then Strict Workflow may be the perfect application for you. World Data Finder There are times when you need additional information about a topic but simply don’t have the time to scour the web for resources. This is when World Data Finder comes into play. This Google Chrome application extension gives you access to graphs, charts, fact, and other relevant pieces of information about the webpage you are currently viewing. For example, if you are reading a news article, you can click on the icon to instantly view line graphs and important pieces of data that offer more insight into story. Kaizena Voice Comments This is one of the most useful tools for eLearning professionals, as it gives you the ability to give immediate audio feedback to your online learners. They can share their online presentations, assessments, or any other learning assignment with you via the Google Drive, and you can leave audio commentary that helps them improve learning behaviors and identify areas of improvement. Just highlight the incorrect response or problem area, then speak into the microphone. LearnBoost If you are looking for an all-in-one tool that can track learner progress, manage eLearning lesson plans, and keep track of attendance, then it doesn’t get much better than LearnBoost for Chrome. This application also gives you the power to generate progress reports, grade assignments, and create an online class calendar. Best of all, there is a LearnBoost support team at-the-ready in case you run into any issues. Highlight Keywords for Google Search With this helpful Google Chrome application you will no longer have to spend precious time perusing a website for pertinent information. When you visit a webpage the application will automatically highlight the keywords you have searched for, which means that you can quickly and conveniently conduct research without having to scan every section of the page. My Study Life Last, but certainly not least, is a planner application that maximizes your time and helps you stay organized. Not only does it have a calendar feature, where you can keep track of deadlines and due dates, but it allows you to store all your tasks right on the Cloud. You can also set and share reminders with eLearning collaborators and learners, as well as store online assessments that you can grade on-the-go. As an added bonus, My Study Life syncs between devices, which gives you access to your schedule and tasks via your mobile phone or tablet. Boost your productivity, streamline your work processes, and give your online learners the best possible eLearning experience by using these Google Chrome Apps for your next eLearning project. Last but not least, as eLearning professionals, we are always looking for tools that help save time when it comes to the organization and maintenance of our eLearning courses. We want to offer our audience the best possible experience, but keeping everything streamlined can be quite a challenge. The good news is that Google Classroom may be just the free learning management system that you’ve been looking for! This post was first published on eLearning Industry.